Q. My 86-year-old mother got an email from her brother listing WD-40 as a pain relief aid for arthritis. Before she sprays it on her skin, please let me know if this is a safe remedy.
A. Bad idea. The petroleum distillates in WD-40 can irritate skin and lungs. This can result in chemical pneumonitis, a condition that is difficult to treat.
We offer a wide range of safe (and often tasty) home remedies for arthritis in our book, The People’s Pharmacy Quick & Handy Home Remedies. They range from deliberately having a bee sting the sore joint to adding cayenne or turmeric to daily meals or drinking cherry or pineapple juice.
